Kiln.



T. J. DUGAN.

KILN. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1910. RENEWED JUNE 4,1912. 1,033',1 62. Patented July 23, 1 912.

4 SHEETS SHBET 1.

COLUMBIA PMNOOIAPlfl COuWASHlNGTON, D. e.

' amyd I T. J. DUGAN.

I KILN. APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 19, 1910- RENEWED JUNE 4, 1912.

1,033, 1 62. Patented July 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2022 72 65,363: I 152mm for. 090W 7 l COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0..wAsH1NGTON, D. c.

T. J. DUGAN.

KILN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1910. xsmzwnn JUNE 4, 1912.

1,033, 1 62. Patented July 23, 191.2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.,WASH1NGTON, D. c

g gorneyas.

'1. J. DUGAN.

KILN. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19 1910- RENEWED JUNE 4, 1912- 1,033,162. Patented July 23, 1912'.

4 SHEETSSHBET'4.

I I I uiiiomqyaf COLUMBIQ CO., WASHINHTON, D. O.

THOMAS J. DUGAN, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

KILN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23,1912.

Application filed November 19, 1910, Serial No. 593,276. Renewed June 4, 1912. Serial No. 701,655.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. DUGAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kilns; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in drying machines or kilns.

The object of this invention is to provide a machineor kiln particularly adapted for drying thin sheets of material such as lithographed plates and the like which will be inexpensive in construction, economical in operation, very compact in form and capable of handling a large amount of material at one time.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for constantly moving the material which is being dried so that the ma-,

terial will be shifted back and forth and up and down in the machine until it has been held in the machine the proper time for baking or drying it and means for causing the material to travel continuously from the intake of the machine to the outlet of the machine during the baking or drying operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide such an arrangement of parts that all the sheets will be held horizontally while being passed through the machine and will also be subjected to approximately the same degree of temperature at all times.

My invention further consists in the features of construction and combination of parts described in the specification, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

My machine in general comprises a closed casing which is provided with any suitable means for heating the same to the proper temperature for drying or baking the material which is to be treated therein. In the casing are mounted two or more vertical series of racks or supports for holding the material which is to be dried. In the drawings three series of such racks are shown, one series being arranged at each side of the casing and one series between the side series, and the edges of the racks of the intermediate series are arranged in close proximi y to the adjacent edges of the racks of the side series. The racks are formed of a number of horizontally arranged rods or tubes so that the racks themselves do not interfere with the circulationof the air in the casing.

The racks in each series are spaced equally apart and the racks in all series are spaced the same distance apart so that the racks in one series can be made to register with all the racks in the other series, but the middle series has one more rack than either of the side series. Each rack in each of the end series is designed to carry a single sheet of material lying horizontally thereon, while each rack in the middle series is designed to carry two sheets of material lying horizontally thereon, one sheet at the right hand side thereof and one sheet at the left hand side thereof, that is to say, the racks in the middle series are twice as wide as the racks in the end series, and therefore the middle series of racks has a carrying capacity slightly greater than the two side series together.

As will be more fully brought out later, during the operation of the machine there will never be more material therein than can be carried by one side of the middle series of racks and one of the side series of racks together, and therefore one side of the middle series of racks and one of the side series of racks will always be free from the material which is being dried. The racks forming both of the side series are rigidly mounted in the casing, while the racks forming the middle series are rigidly mounted in a frame which is capable of a vertical movement in the casing equal to the distance between any two of the racks in any of the,

series, in other words, when the said frame is in its lower position, with the racks therein registering with the racks in the series at each side thereof it is then possible to move the said frame upwardly so as to cause each of the racks therein to register with a rack in each of the side series next above the rack with which it was in registration when the frame was in its lower position. 7

Suitable means is provided for moving the frame intermittently up and down, and other means is provided for shifting the material which is being treated from the right hand side (with reference to the drawings) of the movable series of racks onto the stationary series of racks at the right hand side of the casing and from the stationary series of racks at the left hand side of the using to the left hand side of the movable series of racks while the movable series of racks is in its upper position and for shifting the said material from the stationary racks at the right hand side of the machine back to the right hand side of the movable series of racks and from the left hand side of the movable series of racks back to the stationary racks at the left hand side of the casing, while the movable series of racks is in its lower position. Therefore as one of the stationary series of racks and one half of the movable series of racks are al ways free of the material which is being treated a column of hot air can pass di rectly up therethrough and when the material is again shifted the sheets thereof will out the columns of hot air and all the sheets will be subjected to the same degree of temperature. No as all the material is shifted from the right hand side of the movable racks to the right hand stationary racks while the movable racks are in their upper position and are shifted back from the rigid hand stationary racks to the right hand side of the movable racks when the movable racks are in their lower position it follows that each time the material. at the right hand side of the machine is shifted each sheet of material will move up one rack, and as the material is shifted from the left hand stationary racks to the left hand side of the movable racks while the movable racks are in their upper position and from the left hand side of the movable racks to the left hand stationary racks while the movable racks are in their lower position it follows that each time the material at the left hand side of the machine is shifted each sheet of material will move down one rack. Therefore, during the operation of the machine all the sheets of material at the righthand side of the machine are being carried upwardly through the machine while in a horizontal position and all the sheets of material at the left hand side of the machine are being carried downwardly through the machine while in a horizontal position. All the sheets of material in the right hand side of the machine will be deposited in succession at the right hand side of the topmost rack of the movable racks and suitable means is provided for shifting each sheet of material when it reaches the topmost rack of the movable racks from the right side thereof to the left hand side thereof so that it may start on its downward movement hrough the machine. A suitable feed opening is provided at the bottom of the casing to permit a sheet of material to be placed on the right hand side of the lowermost rack of the movable series of racks each time the movable series lowered and an outlet opening is provided through which each sheet may be discharged when it reaches the left hand side of the lowermost rack of the movable series of racks.

deferring now particularly to the drawings in which a simple embodiment of my invention is illustrated Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a machine with the side walls of the casing partially broken away, and with the movable series of racks in its lower position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the series of movable racks in its upper position. Fig. 8 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. l is a section on line M, Fig. 2.

i'lgain referring to the drawings 1 represents a suitable base on which is mounted a closed casing 2 which may be constructed of any suitable heat resisting material which is also preferably a non-conductor of heat. The casing is provided at the top with a ventilator or chimney 3 and any suitable means may be provided for heating the in terior of the casing, which shown in the drawings is represented by a pipe 4: which communicates with the lower part of the casing at each side thereof, the said pipe being connected with a hot air furnace or the like not shown). Within the casing. at each side thereof, are arranged a series of stationary racks, indicated at 6 and 7, respectively. The racks in the said series are spaced equally apart and the same distance apart in both series. Each rack consists of four iron bars or tubes which are rigidly secured to the wall of the casing and the said bars are made slightly longer than the width of a sheet of the material which is to be dried in the machine. Centrally within the casing and extending transversely thereof is a vertically arranged rectangular frame 10. The frame 10 is supported in suitable slideways 11 so that it is capable of vertical movement in the said casing 2 equal to the space between any two of the racks. in the frame 10 are secured four vertically arranged bars 12 which form the supportfor a middle series of racks 13. These racks are formed similarly to the stationary racks and each rack consists of four iron bars or tubes which extend through the said iron bars 12 and project. at each side thereof and the portions of said bars which extend at either side of the supports 12 are equal in length to the full length of the bars which form the side racks. The center rack is therefore twice as wide as either of the side racks. The frame 10 is provided with a downwardly extending portion or leg 1 1 at each side thereof on which is mounted a roller 17. In the base of the casing, below the frame 10 and extending parallel therewith is ar ranged a crank shaft 20 and thereon is rigidly secured a suitable driving pulley 21. Rigidly secured 011 the crank shaft 20, near each end thereof are cam wheels 23 which travel beneath the rollers 17 and form the support for the vertical frame at all times.

The cam wheels are so shaped that when the shaft 20 is revolved through one-half of the revolution -the vertical frame 10 will be lifted a distance equal to the space bet-ween any two racks thereon and then held stationary in its upper position for a short time, and during the other half revolution of the said shaft the said frame 10 will be lowered and then held stationary for a short time. In the lower port-ion of the casing is a horizontally arranged rectangular frame which is entirely open from side to side and from end to end in order that the vertical frame 10 can move up and down through said frame 25 so that the lowermost rack on said frame 10 will be below the horizontal frame 25 when the vertical frame 10 is in its lower position and will be above the horizontal frame when the vertical frame 10 is in its upper posit-ion. The said horizontal frame 25 is arranged in slideways 26 so that it is free to slide horizontally back and forth in said casing. At each side of the horizontal frame 25 on inwardly projecting extensions 29 are mounted four vertically arranged bars or shifter rods 30, 31, 32 and 33.

The rods 30 and 31 are spaced a sufficient distance apart so that a sheet of material can be inserted between them and likewise the rods 32 and 33 are spaced a suitable distance apart to receive a sheet of the material between them and in order to reinforce the said rods the rods 30 and 33 are preferably connected at their upper ends by a cross member 34 and the bars 31 and 32 are similarly connected by a cross member 35. A downwardly extending arm 36 is rigidly secured at one end of the said horizontal frame 25 and the lower end of said arm is operatively connected with the crank of the crank shaft 20 by means of a pit-man 37 and the arrangement is such that the said frame 25 will be shifted back and forth during each revolution of the crank shaft. At the top of the casing is formed a longitudinally extending slideway 40 in which is arranged a bar 41 which extends transversely of the said casing and projects a short distance beyond the casing at each side thereof. To the said bar, within the said casing are secured depending fingers 43, the lower ends of which extend down a short distance below the bars which form the topmost rack of the movable series of racks 13. On each side of the casing on the outer side thereof is mounted a bell crank lever 44, the longer arms of which extend upwardly and are provided with slots 45 adapted to receive the end of the rod 41. The shorter arms of said levers are connected by means of pitmen or rods 46 with crank arms 47 formed on the ends of the crank shaft 20. In theside of the casing in line with the lowermost rack of the movable series of racks when in its lower position is formed a feed opening 48, and in the left hand end of the casing is similarly located a discharge opening 49. An inc-lined shelf 50 is mounted in the bottom of the casing so that its lower edge registers with the discharge opening 4}) and its upper edge registers with the lowest rack of the movable series of racks when the said rack is in its lower position.

The operation of the device is as follows,VVe will assume that the machine is in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the vertically shiftable series of racks in their lower position and the lowermost rack thereon registering with the feed opening in the casing. A sheet of material is then inserted through the feed opening and placed on the right hand side of the lowermost rack of the vertical shiftable series of racks. The crank shaft is then rotated revolving the cam wheels thereon which. pass under the rollers on the vertical shiftable frame 10 raising said frame to its upper position. When the vertical shift-able frame is moved up it carries up with it the sheet of material so that the sheet will lie between the shifter rods 32 and 33. Now as the shaft continues to revolve the horizontally movable frame 25 carrying the shifter rods will be moved toward the right hand end of the casing and therefore a sheet of material will be carried over by said shifter rods and deposited on the lowermost rack of the stationary racks at the right hand side of the casing. The

continued revolution of the shaft will allow the vertical frame 11 to descend by its own weight and the lowermost rack thereon will again be in position to receive another sheet of material. The vertical frame 10 will remain stationary in this posit-ion while the continued movement of the shaft will shift the horizontal frame 25 toward the left end of the casing carrying the shifter rods therewith and the sheet of material lying between the shifter rods will be carried over and deposited on the right hand side of the second rack from the bottom of the movable series of racks. The frame will be again moved upwardly bringing the last sheet of material which was placed on the lowermost rack between the shifter rods 32 and 33 so that there will now be two sheets between said bars and the bars will then be moved over and will deposit one of the said sheets on the first rack from the bottom and the other sheet on the second rack from the bottom of the stationary series of racks at the right hand side of the casing. The frame will then descend and the shifter rods will again move toward the left end of the machine and deposit the sheets of material on the second and third racks of the movable series of racks, and the lowermost rack will. again be in position to receive a new sheet. By the time the first sheet of material which was inserted in the machine has traveled in this way to the topmost rack of the vertical sl'liftable series of racks there will be one sheet of n'iaterial at the right hand side of eachof the said racks. lVhen a sheetof material reaches the right hand side of the topmost rack of the movable racks it will be engaged by the fingers d8 carried by the rod ii and shifted to the left hand side of said rack. After this has taken place all parts of the machine will be in position shown in Fig. 2. The movable frame will then move down bringing the sheet of material between the shifter rods 30 and 31 and when the horizontal frame is again shifted the sheet of material will be carried over and deposited on the topmost rack of the stationary racks at the left hand side. The movable frame will again be carried up and the shifters will move toward the right depositing the sheet on the second rack from the top and so on the said sheet will be shifted back and forth moving down one rack each time it is shifted until it reaches the left hand side of the lowermost rack of the movable series of racks from which it is shifted onto an inclined shelf 50 which will cause it to slide througlrthe discharge opening.

W hat I claim is,

1. In a drying machine the combinatimi of a stationary series of racks, a movable series of racks arranged in proximity to the stationary series of racks, the racks in both of said series of racks being adapted to register with each other, means for raising and lowering the movable series of racks and means for bodily shifting all the material from the stationary series of racks to the movable series of racks while the movable series of racks is in one position and from the movable series of racks to the sta tionary series of racks while the movable series of racks is in its other position.

2. In a drying machine, the combination of a stationary series of racks, a movable series of racks arranged in proximity to the stationary series of racks, the racks in both of said series of racks being equally spaced and adapted to register with each other, means for raising and lowering the movable series of racks a distance equal to the space between the racks of the said series of racks, means for bodily shifting all the material from the stationary series of racks to the movable series of racks while the movable series of racks is in its lower position and from the movable series of racks to the stationary series of racks while the movable series of racks is in its upper position.

8. In a drying machine, the combination of two vertically arranged series of open horizontally arranged racks for holding the material which is to be dried, the racks in both series being spaced the same distance apart, means for shifting the material. bodily back and forth from one series of racks to the other series of ache and means for alternately raising and lowering one of the series of said racks each time the material is shifted.

l. In a drying machine, in coi'nbination three vertically arranged series of "acks, the racks in the said series being equally spaced, means for raising and lowering the middle series of racks a distance equal to the space between the racks of the said series and means for shifting the material which is to be dried from the middle rack to each of the racks at the sides thereof alternately with the raising and lowering of said middle series of racks.

In a drying machine, the combination of a casing, a series of racks arranged at each side of said casing, a movable series of racks mounted between the side racks, means for raising and lowering said movable series of racks, means for bodily shifting the material which is to be dried from one side of the movable series of racks to one of the side series of racks and from the other side series of racks to the other side of the movable series of racks while the movable rack is in its lower position and from one of the side series of racks to one side of the movable series of racks and from one side of the movable series of racks to the other side series of racks when the movable series of racks is in its upper position.

6. In a drying machine, the combination of a casing, a series of stationary racks mounted at each side of said casing, a vertically slidable frame arranged intermediate of said stationary series of racks, racks mounted on said slidable frame, means for shifting said. frame vertically and means for shifting the material which is to be dried back and forth from each of the stationaiy series of racks to the racks on the movable frame alternately with the raising and lowering of said frame.

7. in a drying machine, the combination of a casing, a series of stationary racks arranged at each side of said casing, a vertically movable series of racks mounted between the stationary series of racks, the racks in all series being equally spaced and adapted to register with each other, means for raising and lowering the movable series of racks, means for shifting the material which is to be dried from one side of the movable series of racks to one of the stationary series of racks and from one of the stationary series of racks to the other side of the movable series of racks alternately with the raising and lowering of the movable series of racks and means for shifting the material from one side of the topmost rack of the movable series of racks to the other side thereof, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a drying machine, the combination of a casing, a stationary series of racks mounted at each side of said casing, a vertically slidable frame mounted between said stationary series of racks, a series of racks mounted on said Vertically slidable frame, the racks of all series being adapted to register with each other, means for raising and lowering said rack carrying frame a distance equal to the space between the racks, a horizontally slidable frame mounted in said casing, means for shifting said horizontally slidable frame back and forth alternately With the raising and lowering of said rack carrying frame, shifter rods mounted on said frame, one set of said shifter rods being adapted to engage all the material on one side of the said machine and the other set of shifter rods being adapted to engage all the material on the other side of said machine and means for heating said casing.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

THOMAS J. DUGAN. Witnesses:

VICTOR C. LYNCH, N. L. McDoNNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

